IBM files patent for a smartwatch that can unfold into a tablet

We have been seeing a growing trend of foldable phones this year and with Samsung and Huawei launching their respective devices, other OEMs are now catching up. However, there is one company that has been silent about the whole ordeal.

American manufacturer IBM has been sitting on the sidelines when it comes to foldable designs. The company that once pioneered the modern day PC has been silent on the foldable phones. However, it looks like there might be a good reason behind it. According to a patent uncovered by Letsgodigital, IBM is playing an entirely different game. The patent titled ‘Variable display size for an electronic display device’ was submitted by IBM back in 2016 and has been published by the USPTO on 11 June 2019. The patent talks about an interesting concept where a smartwatch can be unfolded into a smartphone and further into a full-size tablet. The design does look a bit thick than the average smartwatch but that’s because it houses three separate displays which allow it to be used as a smartphone and a tablet. The smartwatch also has ports on the bottom of the device for connectivity.

The patent, unfortunately, doesn’t talk about the user experience nor does it talk about the folding mechanism. We assume that the mechanism could be semi-automatic or automatic based on user commands. We don’t actually see IBM coming out with the actual watch any time soon. That said, it sure is an interesting and unique design that can have plenty of applications.